FLIGHT International, 17 January 1981
Argus recce platform passes test
THE Dornier/LCT Argus reconnais
sance system, which consists of a
hovering platform carrying a battle
field surveillance radar and tethered
to a ground station, has completed a
successful three-month service demon
stration programme. A total of 44hr
was accumulated in 34 nights, includ
ing one night flight. Representatives
of the French and German Armies
were present at the trials at 91 Test
Establishment, Meppen, West Ger
many, which ended in December.
Argus uses a Dornier Kiebitz stabi
lised helicopter platform with tip-
driven rotor. The payload section
houses an LCT Orphee radar. Control
'inputs, fuel and radar output pass
t
along a tether linking the hovering
platform with the truck-mounted
ground station. The French and Ger
man Armies intend to use Argus for
wide-area, medium-range battlefield
surveillance from the mid-1980s. So
far, the programme has logged 150hr
in 306 flights.
The trials at Meppen covered the
mam Argus tasks: surveillance of indi
vidual targets and convoys at different
ranges and continuous reconnaissance
of several convoys to provide a tactical
picture. Argus can track moving tar
gets which have already been spotted
and can provide target information
for more detailed reconnaissance by
mobile drones.
Wirestrike protection for US Army helicopters
THE US Army is to fit a Canadian-
developed wirestrike protection sys
tem (WSPS) to its tactical helicopters.
The WSPS, made by Bristol Aero
space, consists of a serrated edge de
flector running along the windscreen
centre post which feeds cables to an
upper cutting blade mounted on the
roof. Another cutting blade is
mounted below the cabin to prevent
landing gear entanglement (see Flight,
June 28, 1980, page 1449 and Decem-
ber 6, 1980, page 2125). The US Army was in the process of developing its
own WSPS when it learned of the
Bristol system. With slight modifica
tion the WSPS met the Army's re
quirements.
The equipment will be fitted to
OH-58 Kiowa and UH-1 helicopters.
The OH-58 installation, which weighs
16-31b, has cut through two 0-419in-
diameter copper high-tension cables,
a 3ain messenger wire of 10M steel
and a 50-pair communications cable
without affecting the test aircraft's
lateral stability. A survey of US Army
accidents between February 1974 and
January 1980 showed that wirestrikes
accounted for 8 per cent of Army air
craft losses, 6 per cent of injuries and
16 per cent of crew fatalities,
• ITT Avionics has received a $15
million US Army contract to produce
the AN/AEQ-136 electronic counter-
measures system for tactical heli
copters. ALQ-136 is microprocessor
controlled and emits a deception
signal to confuse enemy gun-laying
radars.
USAF flight-tests split radar
THE United States Air Force Aero
nautical Systems Division is test-fly
ing a new airborne radar system with
its transmitter aboard a C-141A and
receiver/display on another aircraft,
a JC-130A, The tests are the culmina
tion of a two-year, $3 million research
and development contract awarded to
Goodyear Aerospace. The tactical
^ bistatic radar demonstration (TBird)
is the first complete airborne radar to
separate transmitter and receiver.
The operational advantages of the
system are that the receiver aircraft,
a fighter for instance, can be electro-
magnetically passive as well as enjoy
ing increased radar range from a
larger and more powerful transmitter
on another aircraft such as the E-3
Sentry.
The two TBird aircraft are now
operating from Davis-Monthan AFB,
125
Stornoway base
inquiry
PLANS to develop Stornoway Airport
in the Outer Hebrides as a forward
base for Nato maritime patrol, inter
ceptor and tanker aircraft are to be
debated at a public inquiry, the date
for which has yet to- be announced.
The inquiry will consider local objec
tions to the basing of military air
craft, but not wider issues such as
Britain's role in Nato>, says the Secre
tary of State for Scotland George
Younger.
The base would be used in wartime
to> strengthen defences on Britain's
western flank. In peacetime, Storno
way would be used only three or four
times a year for two> weeks at a time,
argues the Royal Air Force. The
local council believes that the expan
sion is just the first step towards a
permanent installation and claims
that the Gaelic culture and several
thousand local jobs would be put at
risk. The UK Ministry of Defence
does not need planning permission to
expand Stornoway but has elected to
hold a public inquiry in the face of
strong local objections.
Nato Awacs
first flight
NATO's first Awacs has flown from
the Boeing airfield at Renton, Wash
ington. The modified 707-320B air
frame did not have the 32ft diameter
radome fitted; this will be installed
in the next few weeks. When this
equipment has been added, the air
craft (the first in Nato colours) will
go to Dornier at Oberpfaffenhofen,
West Germany, where the rest of the
role equipment will be installed and
tested. The first Nato delivery of the
18 Awacs on order is scheduled for
February 1982.
Arizona and will fly 132 test hours
over the US Army Electronic Proving
Ground at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, de
tecting both stationary and moving
ground targets. The tests are
scheduled to end in mid-April.
Left The first German Army PAH-I anti-tank derivative of the M88 BOI05 is seen demonstrating its Hot missile armament. Right Seen hiding in
the trees near its Celle base, the PAH-I is assigned to Army Air Regiment 16 m
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